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LECH VALLEY · AUSTRIA TO BAVARIA · INN-TO-INN WALKING

The Lechweg

Formarinsee beneath the limestone peaks of the Rote Wand, seen from the path toward Freiburger Hütte

Formarinsee and the Rote Wand: the high Alpine setting at the start of the Lechweg.

Photo: Saibo29 · Formarinsee Panorama (Wikimedia Commons) ↗ · CC BY-SA 4.0 ↗. Original image, uncropped; displayed at reduced size.

Follow the turquoise Lech from high Alpine meadows to the waterfalls of Füssen, with a village room and a good dinner each night. Arrive in Lech, take the morning bus to Formarinsee, and walk back to your first hotel. Then follow the river toward Bavaria, with your main bag sent ahead if you choose.

WALK8 walking days
SLEEP INDOORS8 nights + optional Füssen night
TERRAINModerate · uneven paths & climbs
WALKING DISTANCE78 mi / 125 km

FROM THE HEADWATERS TO LECHFALL

Your route through the valley

Lechweg planning route from Formarinsee to LechfallOpenStreetMap route geometry via the Holzgau suspension bridge. Numbered points identify approximate stage stops near Lech, Warth, Steeg, Bach, Klimm for Elmen, Weißenbach and Pflach. They are mapped trail points, not hotel doors. North is up. Data checked 7 October 2026.Formarinsee: mapped trail pointFormarinseeLech: mapped trail point1 LechWarth: mapped trail point2 WarthSteeg: mapped trail point3 SteegBach: mapped trail point4 BachElmen / Klimm: mapped trail point5 Elmen / KlimmWeißenbach: mapped trail point6 WeißenbachPflach: mapped trail point7 PflachLechfall / Füssen: mapped trail point8 Lechfall / FüssenNFORMARINSEE → LECHFALLEight walking days · planning overview© OpenStreetMap contributors · ODbL · checked 7 Oct 2026

Mapped route via the Holzgau suspension bridge. Numbered markers show trail points near the overnight stops; hotel approaches are not mapped. The itinerary distances come from the published stage sources.

Official route & GPX downloads ↗ Open the official interactive map ↗

© OpenStreetMap contributors · ODbL 1.0 · Route data source

About this map and its limits

Route geometry: © OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL 1.0), checked 7 October 2026. Based on Lechweg relation 4728034, version 149 (7 September 2026), with the mapped wooden bridge at Lech and the church–Gföll–suspension bridge–Schiggen variant at Holzgau. The full route line follows mapped OpenStreetMap paths. This line follows the suspension-bridge variant rather than the original Höhenbachtal/Simms-waterfall option. This is a planning overview; check current signs, conditions and hotel access before walking.

Use current signed routes and official navigation information outdoors. This overview does not provide turn-by-turn navigation.

Download this map’s route data (GeoJSON, ODbL 1.0) · Holzgau suspension-bridge route description

WALK VILLAGE TO VILLAGE

Your walking days

DAY 01

Formarinsee to Lech

9.0 mi / 14.5 km

Alpine headwaters and open meadows. Bus up from Lech; walk back to the same hotel.

Sleep: Lech

Walking details

DAY 02

Lech to Warth

6.6 mi / 10.7 km

Gorge views and a woodland climb to Warth.

Sleep: Warth

Walking details

DAY 03

Warth to Steeg

9.6 mi / 15.5 km

Gehren, Lechleiten and the panorama path down to Steeg.

Sleep: Steeg

Walking details

DAY 04

Steeg to Bach

9.6 mi / 15.4 km

Holzgau’s bridge and the Schigge paths toward Bach.

Sleep: Bach

Walking details

DAY 05

Bach to Elmen

9.3 mi / 14.9 km

River paths, the Doser waterfall and a panorama path.

Sleep: Elmen or Klimm

Walking details

DAY 06

Elmen to Weißenbach

12.4 mi / 20.0 km

Broad gravel banks and the braided wild river.

Sleep: Weißenbach am Lech

Walking details

DAY 07

Weißenbach to Pflach

11.8 mi / 19.0 km

Rieden, the Costaries chapel and Frauensee.

Sleep: Pflach

Walking details

DAY 08

Pflach to Lechfall in Füssen

9.5 mi / 15.3 km

Forest paths, the Alpsee and one last climb before Lechfall.

Optional final night: Füssen

Walking details

PUT THE NIGHTS IN PLACE

Choose your overnight stays

Book Lech for two nights, then each valley stop in order. Add Füssen after the finish for a relaxed last evening. Room availability has not been checked for specific dates.

StopArrivalStays
Lech · two nights
Trail approach and tonight’s arrangements

Family-run B&B at Omesberg 397; its site puts the village centre a ten-minute walk away. Confirm the two-night booking and access to the Formarinsee bus. The walking distance from the trail has not been confirmed.

Published trail offsets are not measured door-to-door walking distances. Confirm the approach, your intended number of nights and bag handover directly with the host.

Official Lechweg accommodation listing ↗
Warth · night 3
Trail approach and tonight’s arrangements

Central four-star hotel at Warth 37 with dining. Listed at 0 m from the trail. Confirm summer sauna access with the hotel before booking.

Published trail offsets are not measured door-to-door walking distances. Confirm the approach, your intended number of nights and bag handover directly with the host.

Official Lechweg accommodation listing ↗
Steeg · night 4
Trail approach and tonight’s arrangements

Breakfast pension at Bundesstraße 25, near village food shops and restaurants. Listed 50 m from the trail.

Published trail offsets are not measured door-to-door walking distances. Confirm the approach, your intended number of nights and bag handover directly with the host.

Official Lechweg accommodation listing ↗
Bach · night 5
Trail approach and tonight’s arrangements

Hiking hotel at Am Dorfplatz 43, with a restaurant and sauna. Listed 100 m from the trail.

Published trail offsets are not measured door-to-door walking distances. Confirm the approach, your intended number of nights and bag handover directly with the host.

Official Lechweg accommodation listing ↗
Elmen/Klimm · night 6
Trail approach and tonight’s arrangements

Hotel, restaurant and rooftop spa at Klimm 1a. Listed 50 m from the trail. This is Klimm, outside Elmen’s main centre; confirm your final approach.

Published trail offsets are not measured door-to-door walking distances. Confirm the approach, your intended number of nights and bag handover directly with the host.

Official Lechweg accommodation listing ↗
Weißenbach · night 7
Trail approach and tonight’s arrangements

Small hotel at Schäfflershof 4. Listed 350 m from the trail. Confirm current meal service and opening dates following its announced ownership change.

Published trail offsets are not measured door-to-door walking distances. Confirm the approach, your intended number of nights and bag handover directly with the host.

Official Lechweg accommodation listing ↗
Pflach · night 8
Trail approach and tonight’s arrangements

Hotel and restaurant at Füssenerstraße 2. Listed directly on the trail. The restaurant lists Wednesday as its closing day; arrange dinner separately then.

Published trail offsets are not measured door-to-door walking distances. Confirm the approach, your intended number of nights and bag handover directly with the host.

Official Lechweg accommodation listing ↗
Füssen · optional night 9
Trail approach and tonight’s arrangements

Old-town hotel at Ritterstraße 6, with breakfast. Listed 950 m from the trail; the walk into town is additional to the Lechfall finish.

Published trail offsets are not measured door-to-door walking distances. Confirm the approach, your intended number of nights and bag handover directly with the host.

Official Lechweg accommodation listing ↗

DETAILS WHEN YOU NEED THEM

Plan the rest of the trip

Full walking-day details
Day 01 · Formarinsee to Lech

9.0 mi / 14.5 km · About 5 hours

Take the seasonal bus up from Lech, then walk down through the headwaters. Open meadows and the young river make a memorable first day. The main trail begins near the lake; a complete lake circuit or a visit to Freiburger Hütte adds walking.

Sleep: Lech, same hotel as your arrival night

Official route description ↗

Day 02 · Lech to Warth

6.6 mi / 10.7 km · Allow about 5 hours

Walk high above the gorge, cross the Geißbrücke and climb through woodland toward Warth. This is a short-distance day with real uphill sections. Finish near the Seebachsee and village dairy.

Sleep: Warth

Official route description ↗

Day 03 · Warth to Steeg

9.6 mi / 15.5 km · About 5 hours

Continue through Gehren and Lechleiten, then follow the panorama path above the Lechtal. The route descends in bends to the river and into Steeg. Save time for the village cheese shop.

Sleep: Steeg

Official route description ↗

Day 04 · Steeg to Bach

9.6 mi / 15.4 km · About 6 hours

Walk via Holzgau and its high suspension bridge, then through the Schigge area and on toward Bach. If heights are a problem, use the official alternative through the Höhenbachtal by the Simms waterfall, checking conditions first.

Sleep: Bach

Official route description ↗

Day 05 · Bach to Elmen

9.3 mi / 14.9 km · About 5½ hours

Follow the river toward Häselgehr, then pass the Doser waterfall and continue on the panorama path. Elmen’s centre is reached by leaving the main route near Klimm; check the approach to your chosen hotel.

Sleep: Elmen or Klimm

Official route description ↗

Day 06 · Elmen to Weißenbach

12.4 mi / 20.0 km · About 6½ hours

Return to the main route and continue via Vorderhornbach, Stanzach and Forchach. This is the day for the broad gravel banks and braided turquoise river. Allow time for breaks on a long stage.

Sleep: Weißenbach am Lech

Official route description ↗

Day 07 · Weißenbach to Pflach

11.8 mi / 19.0 km · About 6½ hours

Pass Rieden and Höfen, then climb toward the Costaries chapel and Frauensee before descending to the valley. The views are a reward for a more undulating day than the river map might suggest.

Sleep: Pflach

Official route description ↗

Day 08 · Pflach to Lechfall in Füssen

9.5 mi / 15.3 km · About 5½ hours

Leave the river for forest paths, cross into Bavaria, and walk by the Alpsee and above the Schwansee. One last climb over Kalvarienberg leads to the Lechfall finish. Continue into Füssen for your hotel or station.

Optional final night: Füssen, recommended if returning to Lech

Official route description ↗

Distances follow the current Lechtal Tourism stage records, rounded to 0.1 km; miles are converted from those records. Times follow the official eight-day outline and exclude breaks. Hotel approaches and optional detours are extra.

Stage distances ↗ · Walking times and overnight chain ↗

Shorter option · five walking days from Steeg

Use days 4–8 above: Steeg → Bach → Elmen → Weißenbach → Pflach → Füssen. That is about 53 mi / 85 km before hotel approaches. Arrive the night before in Steeg; add a final night in Füssen if you want an easy departure.

This lower section leaves out Formarinsee, Lech and Warth. The official spring option may be possible from mid-May, depending on snow and local conditions. Confirm hotels, bus service and luggage cover for your dates.

Official lower-route guidance ↗

Arrival, first morning and the journey home

Arrive: travel by train to Langen or St. Anton am Arlberg, then by bus to Lech. Stay in Lech for the arrival night and again after your first walking day.

Start: take the seasonal Formarinsee bus from Lech, then walk back. Book or check the bus arrangement against the current timetable before setting off.

Finish: the trail ends at Lechfall; the onward walk into Füssen is extra. Continue your trip by rail or return to Lech by bus via Reutte, a journey of roughly three hours. A Füssen night avoids trying to fit the final walk around a return-bus deadline.

The official page has separate October 2026 timetables. Do not assume summer frequencies continue unchanged or that 2027 dates will match.

Official arrival and parking guide ↗ · Official bus connections and timetables ↗ · Bus planner ↗ · Austrian rail ↗ · German rail ↗

Luggage transfer and what stays in your daypack

Feuerstein provides a separately bookable luggage service. Arrange it before travel, confirm every hotel and ask where to leave your bag. The current official listing quotes €13 per bag per stage when booked at least two days ahead, a €2 late supplement and shoulder-season exceptions. Limits are 20 kg and 30 × 46 × 78 cm. Prepay and label the bag; stated delivery is by 18:00, with delays possible.

Carry your drinking water, food for the stage, rainwear, warm layer, navigation, medication and other essentials. Bag transfer does not replace a properly equipped daypack.

Check current luggage service and request a quote ↗

Food, water and dinner plans

Ask each host about breakfast, packed lunches and dinner before you arrive. Carry enough food and drinking water for the stage; do not rely on a café being open or assume a stream is a drinking-water source.

Steeg’s cheese shop is a worthwhile stop when open. At the Schwanen in Pflach, Wednesday is currently listed as the restaurant’s closing day, so plan dinner separately.

Season, footing and current conditions

The complete route is normally planned from late June to early October, subject to snow and weather. Expect uneven paths, climbs and descents over consecutive full days. The overall loss of height from the source to Füssen does not make each stage easy.

For Holzgau, the official description gives an alternative via the Höhenbachtal and Simms waterfall for people avoiding the high suspension bridge. Check the current route and conditions before using it.

Official planning FAQ ↗ · Current Lechweg information ↗

DO IT YOUR WAY

Arrange it yourself or book a walking holiday

DIY gives you the exact overnight chain above. Arranged holidays can take care of rooms, route support and transfers; compare the actual walking days and overnight places.

SELF-GUIDED

Eurohike

10 days / 9 nights, including eight walking days. Accommodation, breakfast, luggage transfer and navigation support. Uses Elbigenalp, Stanzach and Höfen rather than every overnight stop above.

View trip details ↗

SELF-GUIDED

Alpenlandtouristik

The classic trip advertises eight walking days and nine nights, with rooms, breakfast, bags, navigation material and the Formarinsee bus. Hotel-to-hotel stages differ from the DIY outline.

View trip details ↗

GUIDED GROUP

Wikinger Reisen

An 11-day fixed-base holiday from Holzgau, with transfers to the walks, a rest day and a qualified leader. Check the selected departure’s direction and programme.

View trip details ↗

An operator’s “8 days” can include arrival and departure. It does not automatically mean eight walking days or every kilometre of the trail. Check inclusions, departure dates, room type and transfers before comparing prices.

Sources and booking checks

Research checked 7 October 2026. Confirm hotel approaches and current transport, luggage and seasonal operating details for your dates.

The photograph retains its original composition and CC BY-SA attribution. Booking links lead to the properties or operators; no room availability is promised.

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